Expandable plug wrench



Aug. 13, 1935. 'c. B. WAHL EXPANDABLE PLUG WRENCH Filed April 20, 1954 mwww [.Q WW

IV/T/VESS.

K 74 M W4 R W T 2 5 J 6 MW Patented Aug. '13, 1935 l IT-ED STAT E EXPANDABLE PLUGVWRVENGH ohm-leg Byron Wahl; Philadelphia,

to The United Gas Improvement Company, Philadelphia, Pa.,a corporation-of Pennsylplug n ay not he -inserted or removed without the use of .the special wrench.

.,{Ifhe-previously known apparatus has certain disadvantages, the obviating of which is the prin- 'cipal object of the present invention. These disadvantages and the advantages of the invention oi-this. application may best be pointed out in connection with the,descrip tion of-the attached drawing which'iorms a part of; this specificationa u d.wh i;ch shows; the; present and the improved apparatus, and in-which; 1 1' ig;-' l shows a side'elevation, with parts broken away-, of a form of the improved wrench of the present, application for positioning, expanding andremovingthe plug of Figs. 2 and 3. zq-l ig. 2 showsa; side elevation of the expandable Pl mf .;-1 p.r -;Fig. 3' shows an end elevation of the plug of I Fig fl isa sideelevation of the tip of the sleeve.

Fi-ggfi is an end viewof the tip of the sleeve.

Fig-.;6,- is a side elevation of the tip of the barrel. Fig. 7 is a-sideelevation of the'tip of the head. .X-F ig.,8' isan end view of the tip of the head. 1 ZReieIring to Figs. 2 and 3, I indicates atapered rubber stopper provided with \a' central bore,

thmughJWhich -iS passed the -threaded bo1t -2.

The-stopper is-heldbetweenthe washers 3 and 4 which have central holesarranged to fit-loosely around'the' bolt The sliding nut 5 is not threaded'andalso. fits loosely around the bolt and is provided with "the pin 6 which extends into the slot: 11in thebolt 2. 8 is a threaded-nut provided withthe soc'ketl9. I lReferring to Figs. 1, and 4 through 8: I gen erally indicates the body or barrel of the wrench, in which the head I may be turned by the handle 12 andthe stem I3. The head I I is provided with the pin I4 adapted to engage the socket}! in the plu fiFigs fi; and-3)., The barrel I0 isprovided with the slotted socket:l intended to engage and retainthe pin .6 of the plug, The stem I3 has atestes; i a c l a we?! a 1 i engaged bymeans of a long wrench, and ex-' Pa., assignor Application April 20, 1934, Serial No. 721,524 g 1 s ciaims. (01. 81-53) by a'spring'such as II, which presses the head II against the end of the plug, when the'plugis'insertedin the wrench.

In operation, with the handle drawn back compressing the spring I! within'the barrel of throughthe straight portion of the socket slot I5; The plug is thenturned, engaging the pin in one of the wings of the socket, preferably the upper wing in the View of the wrench shown in Fig,

1. The handle is then'released and turned until the pin I4 is-alignedwith and entersthe socket 9 in the plug. l The pressure of thespring I'l holds the head .I I against the end of the plug, retaining I the pin 6 in the socketwing. 3 I

The plug is the service to usually 10 or- 12 inches.

of the wrench stationary,

the desired distance into the pipe, Then, holding the barrel the handle is turned clockwise, turning the nut 8 by means of the head and retractingthefhead II the wrench, the end 'Of .the plug is inserted inthe'barreLthe piniipassing theninserted through the head of is P T lorries 1 II, 'pin I4 andsockett; ,Thebolt 2 o'fzthe plug in socket I5 andlwhich extends into the slot Im the bolt. Turning the nut 8, with the bolt held stationary, compresses the rubber stopper- I longiisheId-from turning by the pin 6,which isheld tudinally and causes it to expand radially, stop ping the service and preventing any flow'or leakage of gas past the plug. Head with a central cavity I8, to allow entrance of ;.the

end of bolt 2 exposed by the screwing-upof nut 8.v

The handle I2 ofthe wrench is then withdrawn, releasing the pin I4, and the barrel of the wrench 'is turnedto align the straight portion of the socket I5 with the pin 6 and the wrench withdrawn, leaving the plug expanded well within the service.

In removing the plug, the wrenchis inserted in aligned withthe straight portion of the socket I5;

the wrench is thenpushed farther in, the sides of the straight portionof the socket I5 passing on either side of the pin 6. The barrel is then turned to position the pin in the lower wing of the socket It in the view of the wrench shown in Fig. 1; the

I I is provided the pipe until it encounters the end of the plug handleis here released and; turned'until thepin I l engages and enters the socket 9 of. the plug. The handle is then turnedcounter-clockwise,unscrewing the nut 8, and releasing the pressure upon the rubber stopper I, which resumes its unexpanded position, in which condition the plug maybe withdrawn from the pipe.

The apparatus described hasa decided dis-.

advantage. If, when the plug is inserted in the ,barrel of the wrench, the 'pin 6 is positioned in the Wrong wing of the socket l in expanding the I plug, or if the pin is in the correct wing but the wrench is inadvertently turned the wrong direction, the pin in the turning movement may be come aligned with the straightportion of the socket slot l5, and, due to the action of the spring H, the plug may be forced out of the barrel of the wrench in unexpanded condition and shot into the portion of the pipe ahead of the wrench. It

I is then very difiicult to'recover, as it merely moves farther into the pipe when one tries to engage it with the wrench. I I I I above-described device as follows: I! is asleeve which fits loosely around the barrel In and which is provided with'a screw-pin 20, whichisscrewed into a threaded hole inf the sleeve and extends within a short slot'Zl cut in the barrel ill. The sleeve I9 is provided with a key", which'isin sliding engagement with the straight portion of socket slotl5 on the barrel Hi and witha rear' ward extension'of the straight portion of that slot indicated 23. A spring 24 is provided, which encircles the barrel l0 and abuts an internal shoulder oi the sleeve Mat and an external shoulder on the'barrel I0 at 26. 3

When the plug is to beinserted in the barrel of thegwrench, the operation is ashas been, described, "except that, flrstjthesleeve I9 is slid back compressing the spring 14; the screw-pin"!!! sliding inthe slot 2i and th'e keyl 22 sliding into the extension 23 of the socket slot H. The parts are arranged sothat the sleeve may bewithdrawn suiiiciently to enable the key'ZZ tobe withdrawn entirely into the extension slot 23, permitting the pin 6 of the plug to'be positioned in either wing ofthe socket l5, The sleeveis then released and the spring 24 rnovesthesleeve i9 forward, the key 22 slidinginto the position shown in Fig. 1 and locking the pint within the wing 01' slot l5,' i'rom which it will not be released'no' matter how the wrench isturne'd, and there is no danger ofthe plug being shot into the pipe ahead of the wrench. The slot 2| and the pin 20 serve to retain the V sleeve and limit its travel along'thebarrel of the wrench.

- Inthis arrangement, it is not necessary to position the pin 6 of the plug in one particular wing of the socket l5 when expanding the plug'in' the pipe and in the other wing when removing the 'plugfrom the pipe, but the pin may be positioned in either wing for either operation.

I do not intend to be limited save as the scope of the prior art and of the attached claims may i I require.

Iclaim: V l I v 1. A wrench for expandable pipe plugs includ-' ing in combination a barrel member, a retractable wrench-head enclosed by said barrel member, said wrench-head being provided with means for engaging and turning'a tightening member on a plug and said barrel being provided with-a slotted socket for engaging a radial pin on said plug,rsaid slotted socket including a longitudinal slot hav.- ing one or more lateralwings, and retractable locking meansslidea'ble in said longitudinal slot in the barrel and'adaptedto lock' said radial pin of the plug within a lateralwingof said socket when positioned therein.

- 2. A wrench for expandable pipe plugs including in combination a barrel'member, are tract- The same trouble may occur in removing the-- plug after rubber stopper has been released. To overcome this difficulty, I have 'addedto the position.

able wrench-head enclosed by said barrel member, said wrench-head being provided with means for engaging and turning a tightening member on a, plug and said barrel beingprovided with a slotted socket for engaging a radial pin on said plug, said slotted socket including a longitudinal slot havingone or more lateral wings, retractable locking means slideable in said longitudinal slot in the barrel and adapted to lock said radial pin of the plug withina lateral wing of said socket when positioned therein, and spring means the locking positionv I I for moving said retractable locking means into 3; A wrench for expandable pipe' plugs including in combination a barrel member, a retract able wrench-headlenclosed' b'yv said barrel member, said wrench-head being provided with means for engaging and turninga. tightening member on a plug'and said barrel being provided with a slotted socket ,for engaging, a radial pinon said plug,

said slotted socket including a longitudinal-Islet having one or more lateralwinga retractable lock' ing means slideable in said longitudinal slot'in the barrel and; adapted to: lock saidr'adial'pinof the plug within a lateral wing ofcsaid socket when positioned therein, spring means formoving said retractable locking means into locking position, and means associatedwith theretractable locking means and the barrel for limiting movement 01? said locking means 4. A wrench for expandablepipe plugs -including in combination a barrel, a retractable wrenchhead enclosed by said barrel, said wrench-head provided with means for engaging and turning a tightening member of a plug; said ban-e1 'being provided, with a slotted socket for engaging a pin member on the plug, said slotted socket comma ing a longitudinal slot having one or more lateral wings, and a retractable sleeve enclosing aportion of the wrench barreland provided with means.

slideablc in; the longitudinal socket slot'in the I barrel andadapted to "lock the pin of within a lateral wing of said socket slot.

t e plus 5. A wrench for expandablepipeplugs inc'niding in combination ia barreha retractable wrenchhead enclosed by saidbarrel, said wrench-head.

being provided with means for engaging and turn ing a tightening member o1 a plug, said barrel being provided with a, slotted socket for engaging a pin'member on the plug, said slotted socket comprising a longitudinal slot having one or more lateral wings, and a retractable sleeve enclosing a i portion of the'wrench barrel and provided with an internal key slideable in the longitudinal socket slot in the barrel and adapted to lock the pin of I the plug within a lateral wing of said'socketslot;

6. A wrench for expandable pipe plugs including in combination a barrel, a retractable wrenchhead enclosed by said barrel, said wrench-head being provided with means for engaging and, turnlng a tightening member of a. plug, said barrel being providedw'ith a slotted socket for engaging a pin member on the plug, saidslotted socket comprising a longitudinal slot having one 'or more lateral wings, a retractablesleeve enclosing aportion of the wrench barrel and providedwithaninterus I ing a tightening member of a plug, said barrel being provided with a slotted socket for engaging a pin member on the plug, said slotted socket comprising a longitudinal slot having one or more lateral wings, a retractable sleeve enclosing a portion of the wrench barrel and provided with an internal key slideable in the longitudinal socket slot in the barrel and adapted to lock the pin of the plug within a lateral wing of said socket slot,

10 spring means for moving said sleeve into the locking position, and means'associated with the sleeve and barrel for limiting the movement of the sleeve.

8. In a wrench for expandable pipe plugs, a. barrel having a slot with lateral extensions in the wall of the barrel, and an element mounted on said barrel and having thereon a lug slideable in' said slot to open and close communication between said lateral extensions and said slot.

CHARLES BYRON WAHL; 1o 

